“This morning the IDF began Operation Northern Shield, the goal of which is to uncover and neutralize terrorist tunnels from Lebanon.

We are proud of the fighters and commanders of the IDF for the complex actions and operational successes already in the early stages of the operation.

Whoever tries to attack the State of Israel – will pay a heavy price.

We are taking determined and responsible action in all sectors simultaneously. We will continue with additional actions – open and covert – in order to ensure the security of Israel.”

Netanyahu just returned from a diplomatic-security meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Brussels.

The Prime Minister updated the US Secy. of State on Operation Northern Shield and said that the intrusive tunnels built by Hezbollah are a gross violation of Israeli sovereignty and of UN Security Resolution #1701.

Netanyahu also said that Iranian aggression had to be thwarted in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere.

The IDF on Tuesday uncovered the first cross-border Hezbollah tunnel from a home in the south Lebanese village of Kfar Kila some 40 meters into Israeli territory outside the town of Metulla.

It was the first tunnel that the IDF said it had discovered as part of Operation Northern Shield.

The IDF said it took Hezbollah two years to build the 600-foot-long tunnel, which had been dug through solid rock into Israel and built some 80 feet underground and was six feet wide and six feet tall. The terror tunnel had electrical and communication lines as well as ventilation.

“The digging of the cross-border attack tunnels that the IDF has discovered, before the attack tunnels became operational and posed an imminent threat to the safety of Israeli civilians, constitutes a flagrant and severe violation of Israeli sovereignty,” said IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Ronen Manelis.

“We are prepared for all options, and the operation is only in its first day. The neutralizing of the tunnels will not necessarily take place within our territory,” Manelis said.

Operation Northern Shield will be led by IDF OC Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Yoel Strick and will include troops from the Combat Engineering Corps, the Intelligence Branch, as well as the Defense Ministry’s Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure (MAFAT).

The Israel Defense Forces stated that a number of areas close to the security fence with Lebanon, including the community of Metulla, have been declared a closed military zone and that it has reinforced troops in the Northern Command ahead of all possible scenarios.

While the IDF stressed that it is prepared for any escalation with Hezbollah that could stem from the operation, there are no special instructions for the residents of the North. The IDF updated the heads of local authorities overnight and will continue to be in contact with them throughout the operation.

“We are in full control of the situation and are determined to remove the underground Hezbollah threat from the northern border. The tunnels do cross into Israeli territory, but the work on them was not complete,” the spokesman said on a call with reporters.

According to Manelis, the Lebanese government is responsible for all that occurs on Lebanese soil and the digging of the tunnels shows that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) is not capable of controlling what occurs in southern Lebanon.

“This is also more proof of the grave violations by Hezbollah, which blatantly ignores UN resolutions, especially Resolution 1701, and operates from villages in southern Lebanon, while harming the state of Lebanon and its citizens,” Manelis said, adding that “The Hezbollah terrorist organization, which is behind the digging of the tunnels, continues to operate with the support and funding of Iran in order to carry out terror activity against Israeli citizens.”

IDF surprises a Hezbollah terrorist before
he could surprise Jewish civilians.

Last week, Iran backed Hezbollah released a video with satellite images and precise locations of strategic sites in Israel warning “attack and you will regret it.”

Netanyahu added: “I have a message for the people of Lebanon: Hezbollah is putting your lives in danger. They are sacrificing your well being to serve the aggressive purposes of Iran. Israel holds the Lebanese government accountable for all terror activity emanating from Lebanon against Israel.”

“Like any other nation, Israel maintains the right to defend itself. We will continue to do all that is necessary to defend ourselves against Iran’s efforts to use Lebanon, Syria and Gaza as forward terror bases to attack Israel.”

“Just as we have exposed and dismantled the terror tunnels of Hamas alongside our border with Gaza, we will expose and dismantle the terror tunnels of Hezbollah alongside our border with Lebanon.”

Netanyahu concluded: “I have asked Israel’s delegation to the UN to call on the UN Security Council to convene an urgent meeting against Hezbollah and its actions. Israel will continue to do all that is necessary to protect our people and defend our borders.”